Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) – Jalin Marshall returned a punt 54 yards for
a touchdown and added three receiving touchdowns in the fourth quarter,
lifting the seventh-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes over the Indiana Hoosiers,
42-27, on Saturday.
With the win, Ohio State (10-1, 7-0 Big Ten) captured the Big Ten’s East
Division crown and clinched a spot in the conference championship game for the
second straight year.
Marshall caught five passes for 95 yards for the Buckeyes, who have won a
record 23 consecutive Big Ten bouts during the regular season.
J.T. Barrett completed 25-of-35 passes for 302 yards, four touchdowns and two
interceptions. He set the school mark for touchdown passes (33) in a season.
Tevin Coleman rushed for 228 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries for the
Hoosiers (3-8, 0-7), who have lost six in a row. His 1,906 rushing yards are
the most in a single season in school history.
Zander Diamont connected on 11-of-27 passes for 114 yards and an interception
for Indiana.
Ohio State trailed 20-14 after Coleman raced 90 yards for a TD midway through
the third quarter.
The momentum shifted on Marshall’s punt return for a touchdown with 2:20 left
in the third.
After forcing a three-and-out, the Buckeyes bridged the third and fourth
frames with an 11-play, 76-yard drive. Devin Smith caught a 33-yard pass on
3rd-and-7 to move the chains. Following two more conversions on third down,
Marshall caught a 6-yard TD pass to make it 28-20.
Sean Nuernberger missed a 46-yard field goal on the next Ohio State
possession.
The Buckeyes’ defense came up big when Tyvis Powell picked off Diamont.
Marshall followed with TD catches of 15 and 54 yards to put the
game out of reach.
Coleman added a 52-yard score to account for the final margin.
Ezekiel Elliott broke off a 65-yard TD run on the third play from scrimmage.
After forcing a three-and-out, Ohio State scored another touchdown. Jeff
Heuerman capped the nine-play drive with a pair of catches, including a 4-yard
score on fourth down.
But the Hoosiers quickly got back in the game. Diamont ripped off a 53-yard
run and Coleman scored from two yards out.
Michael Thomas fumbled on Ohio State’s ensuing possession. Indiana’s Zack Shaw
recovered at the 31-yard line of the Buckeyes, leading to a 30-yard Griffin
Oakes field goal.
Barrett was picked off on consecutive possessions, but the Hoosiers could only
capitalize on the second interception. Oakes’ 37-yard field goal got Indiana
within 14-13 with 9:34 left in the second quarter.
Coleman’s 90-yard TD run gave the Hoosiers a 20-14 lead with 7:17 left in the
third quarter.
Game Notes
Ohio State has dominated the series with Indiana since its inception, going
70-12-5, which includes victories in each of the last 19 meetings … Barrett
has been responsible for a school record 42 touchdowns this year, matching
Drew Brees’ Big Ten record for single season touchdown responsibility first
set at Purdue in 1998 … Elliott carried the ball 13 times for 107 yards and
became the 30th Buckeye in program history to top 1,000 yards in one season
… Barrett rushed for 78 yards on 20 carries … The Buckeyes have one
scheduled game left on the docket, a Nov. 29 matchup with bitter rival
Michigan at home … Indiana will host intrastate rival Purdue on Nov. 29 to
bring the curtain down on the 2014 campaign.
